How to Create a Cute Construction Birthday Party

How to Get Baby to Sleep Thru the Night

The weeks or months until your baby sleeps through the night are so difficult.  It's worse if you have other children and / or are working because you can't take the time in the day to rest or even nap.  Not only is your sanity suffering but sleep for a baby is super important and I think it is a skill that parents have to teach to their babies.  In my opinion every baby is different and there definitely isn't one guaranteed way to get a baby to sleep through the night but I also think there are some tips and ideas that definitely help most babies.  This is my third baby and these are the things that I swear by.  Emily slept through the night at 16 weeks, Madi at 10.5 weeks and Jackson just before 6 weeks.  I'd like to say I got better with "training" them but I have to note that each baby was bigger.  I think birth weight affects their ability to eat more and sleep longer.

The Difficult Emotions of Your Final Baby

My third and final baby is just about to celebrate his half birthday and on one hand I can't believe that he is already six months and on the other, time could not go fast enough.  You hear from everyone, "Slow down, savor every moment, you blink and they will be off to college..."  As a mother of three whose oldest is seven I know first hand how fast time flies but honestly there are so many days where it couldn't go slower.

When I was pregnant with our third we knew this was our final baby no matter a boy or a girl.  But because of a hard pregnancy I just wanted to get through it.  I wasn't enjoying it even though I knew it would be the last time I would feel baby kicks from the inside or the last time I would bond with a baby even before seeing them.  I wanted to savor it but if I'm being totally honest I just wasn't.  So instead, during the pregnancy I kept telling myself that when he arrived I was going to savor it all because he was going to be the last.  If I couldn't enjoy the final pregnancy then I would sure as heck enjoy all the moments of a new baby.  I wanted to soak in the multiple hours of nursing, savor the baby snuggles, and not rush the milestones.

Jackson's Birth Story

Baby boy is closer to two months than birth so I figure it is time to finally share how he entered the world.  As I've shared before we always said we wanted three children but to ask us again after two.  It wasn't too long after Madison was born that Kevin said he was ready for a third.  I on the other hand was absolutely not ready and needed some time.  Last year I started feeling the urge and was pushed over the edge when my best friend got pregnant with her third.  It took us a little longer than it did with the girls so by the time I got pregnant I realized how much I really wanted a third baby.  Even when I was completely overwhelmed with the girls I never felt "done" and our family didn't feel quite complete.  So we were all very excited when we found out that a third baby would be joining our family.  Finding out it was a boy was a complete shock and even until his birth it felt surreal.

Introducing Older Siblings to a Newborn

There's two and half years between my girls so when Emily was born she didn't have a full understanding of what it meant to be getting a little sister.  However, now the girls are four and half and almost seven so they have a firmer grasp of a baby brother coming into the picture.  Even though they are older and can better comprehend, a new baby is still life altering for any child and perhaps even greater when your little ones are older.

Jackson Jeffrey's Nursery Reveal

When I was pregnant with Emily I was over the moon excited to design and decorate her nursery and it was just perfect.  Then when I was having another girl I couldn't justify changing the nursery even though by that time I was pretty tired of the decor.  When we found out we were pregnant with number three I assumed it was going to be a girl and I kept thinking oh boy 7+ years with this same decor, yuck!  So it was yet another reason to be so excited about having a boy!  He surely couldn't have a pink room so I started from scratch.

Newborn Must-Haves

This being my third baby I feel like I've really narrowed down what is essential and what's not.  I've rounded up everything that I love and sharing my must-haves with you.  My greatest tip is don't fall into all the marketing and buy everything under the sun.  Babies can get by with just a few things.  They mostly need nourishment and love!  The rest of the stuff is to make all of our lives a little bit easier.

What to Pack in Your Hospital Bag

When packing your hospital bag I recommend keeping it light and simple.  As someone who has done this before you don't need a lot to get by.  I've looked at a lot of lists on Pinterest and can't believe how extensive they are.  Not only do you not need everything under the sun but keep in mind your husband or another family member can run home and grab something for you.  It's not like you're traveling by plane to deliver a baby.

One of my biggest recommendations is button sleep shirts.  I bought a pajama set my first delivery and found that it wasn't great for recovery (I'll spare you details).  A button up sleep shirt is great for nursing and for those pesky nurses checks.  You also don't have to worry about ruining pants.  A robe and slippers are great for walking around.  I found my maternity robe at PinkBlush Maternity.  I love the floral print and how light weight the material is yet it's not cheap feeling.  I wanted something blue since I'm having a boy but yet still feminine.  This robe checks all the boxes and I just love it.  My shift dress that I'm wearing above is also from PinkBlush and my favorite part is the ruffle detail on the sleeve.  I picked this up because I knew it would work during my third trimester as well as for my post-partum body which of course is a weird, in-between size.  It's also perfect to pack as a going home outfit.

I've packed a nursing bra and a pumping bra in my hospital bag which I found from Cake Maternity.  You literally can't survive without nursing bras and I'm very excited about these two new finds.  I'm most excited to try out the hands free pumping bra but it also is great as a nursing sports bra.  It's very comfortable and easy to maneuver for feeding.

I'm used to dressing up little girls to the nines so I'm going to have to probably hold myself back with little man.  But don't worry there will be no frills at all.  However, I still couldn't help myself in finding him the cutest little outfits for the hospital.  I have a personalized footed outfit with matching beanie and blanket from Jennifer Ann and a navy and grey swaddle set from Khloe & Kinley.  The Khloe & Kinley set has a matching headband for me and bows for the girls; I mean can we get any cuter?!?!  I also picked up a newborn beanie and name tag from Infanteenie Beenie.

Take your favorite snacks since hospital food is never fabulous.  In addition to food for yourself bring items for the staff.  I've always brought care packages for the nurses and make it known that they can share it with colleagues.  This is to get on their good side and hope for the best care.

Since this is my third baby I have some recommendations on what not to bring.  Use the hospital and get a lot of your items from them.  Not only is it less packing but hey you are paying them a fortune to be there so get your money's worth!  Ask for diapers (extra to go home as well), burp cloths, Lanolin cream, breast pump parts, breast pads, wipes, Dermoplast, pads and anything else they will give you.  Speaking of pads I CAN NOT wear those mesh panties with the "diaper" they provide you.  I almost choked when that's what they offered with my first delivery.  Luckily I said no thanks and found out they have normal pads to use instead which I paired with granny panties I bought specifically for post-partum recovery.  I've brought my DSLR camera in the past but I'm not packing it this time.  I have an iPhone 8 Plus which takes great photos plus I'm having a professional photographer come to take Fresh 48 photos.  If you can't live without electronics than bring your laptop or iPad but it's on my list to leave home.  I found in the past that I didn't have any free time to play on them between visitors, nursing the baby and doctors and nurses coming in for checks.

Let's not forget the bag that you have to put everything in.  For each of my deliveries I've ordered a personalized bag for the baby so they can have a travel bag for future use.  You know my love for Thirty-One Gifts so I of course got this Retro Metro Weekender Bag from them.  It's lightweight which I find important for a travel bag.  I also love the option of arm straps or a crossbody long strap.  I picked up a coordinating bag for my toiletries called the Ditty Dot Glamour Case which has a clear  interior pocket.  I'm just a tad obsessed with anything from Gigi New York and snagged the All In One bag for my makeup.  Most of you also know my obsession for personalization so adding my initials was a must!  Make sure that you pack your bag ahead of time so you're not scrambling and stressing once you go into labor.  

This is a sponsored post.  All opinions expressed are honest and my own.  Thank you for supporting the companies and brands that have received my stamp of approval.

Infant Essentials

As I sit in a nearly empty nursery I seriously can't imagine that baby boy is going to be here in less than 3 months.  The feelings of this pregnancy are so different from the first two.  I'm not sure if it's because it's been awhile since having a baby or knowing that it's definitely the last baby but something is just so wildly different.  It seems more surreal than ever before.  It also doesn't seem real that in a blink of an eye he will be here in our arms.

Since he'll be here very soon I'm starting to prepare for his arrival.  With the help of my best friend we are working on the nursery and I'm gathering up new baby essentials.  

One of the first things I think about when I start gathering the essentials is the baby's first outfit.  I found the cutest personalized items from Jennifer Ann and knew this would be perfect for Jackson's first outfit.  A soft swaddle is absolutely necessary as well so this personalized one is perfect.  No matter the time of the year a baby is born I think they need something to cover their head in the first few weeks.  But since Jackson will be born in the Fall he will need a beanie even more so.  I love this set of footed onesie, beanie and swaddle blanket; it's the 3 key all in one.  I also grabbed adorable baby brother leggings and bandana bib.

We already had a neutral car seat but I needed a car seat cover.  I wanted one of those multi-use ones that also worked as a shopping cart cover and high chair cover.  I found the Mom Boss 4 in 1 Cover from Itsy Ritsy and I think it's going to be perfect.  I love the black and white stripe and the softness of the fabric.  It's so easy to use and since Jackson will be born in the Fall I can even wear it as an infinity scarf so it's at my fingertips. 

I nursed my two girls and plan on nursing the baby.  Nursing is probably the most time consuming part of having a new baby.  It's also the most difficult part.  Any tool or trick that helps with nursing I'm all about.  So I'm excited to try out the Mom Boss Infant Feeding Pillow which positions the baby perfectly to prevent acid reflux and keeps your arm from getting tired.  After feeding it works to burp the baby.

The essentials include bath products of course.  I'm giving a starter gift set from Noodle & Boo this time a try since I've heard such great things about them.  The set includes an 8 oz. Body Wash, Shampoo and Lotion.  Noodle & Boo only uses natural and safe ingredients so no parabens, dyes, GMO's, BPA, etc.  It's safe enough for daily use and mild enough for even sensitive skin.  Both my girls battled eczema and very sensitive skin so I'm so excited to use Noodle & Boo on baby boy.

Any essentials that you recommend?  Check back to see the nursery reveal and other baby related posts.  As I start working on those I would love your input.  What did you take in your hospital bag?  What should you have left behind? What were your must have items in the first few weeks?  What are your best nursing tips?  I want to hear it all!

This is a sponsored post.  All opinions expressed are honest and my own.  Thank you for supporting the brands and companies that have received my stamp of approval.

Bump Update- 16 Weeks

16 Weeks: Baby is the size of an avocado

I Avo-can't fit in my jeans!

I don't know if it's my age, the baby's gender, or that it's my third pregnancy but boy this has been different!  I've been "growing" much faster this pregnancy even though I'm working out.  However, it's not a total shock because I'm starving 24/7 and still love my sweets more than anything.  With the girls I never had a single craving and thought maybe people made that up as an excuse, lol.  This time I do get cravings for something very specific but nothing that I wouldn't eat before.  

I continue to feel quite yucky with a sour stomach most of the time, headaches, and extreme tiredness and congestion.  It's improved from the first trimester and is manageable but I'm very ready to start feeling better.

I'm still in utter shock that baby #3 is a boy and all of us are just so excited.  It's the main topic in our household most days.  Please send all boy advice; I have no idea what to do with a boy.

I feel like I've been pregnant forever and already counting down the months.  I'll keep counting down with updates on the blog; so check back here.  Thanks to Felt Like Sharing for helping me with my bump-dates.

This is a sponsored post.  All opinions are honest and my own.